MyAlongside/Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 June 2026

MyAlongside (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, and your rights over it. Because this platform deals with sensitive life experiences, we treat your data with the highest level of care.

1. Who We Are

MyAlongside is a peer-mentorship platform that connects people navigating difficult life events with mentors who have lived through similar experiences. We are not a medical or mental health provider; see our Safety page for crisis resources.

2. Data We Collect

Account information

  • Name, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash)
  • Role (Seeker or Mentor) and profile details you provide (bio, location, languages)
  • Life events you select — these are treated as sensitive personal data

Usage data

  • Messages exchanged between seekers and mentors (end-to-end within our platform)
  • Community posts, likes, and comments you make
  • Session tokens and device information for security purposes
  • Log data such as IP addresses and browser type (retained for 30 days)

Payment data

Subscription payments are processed by Stripe. We store only your Stripe customer ID; full card details are never held by us.

3. How We Use Your Data

  • Matching: Life event selections power our mentor-matching algorithm.
  • Communication: Messages are stored to provide the in-app chat experience.
  • Safety: We review reported content and may share information with authorities if there is an immediate risk of harm.
  • Product improvement: Aggregated, anonymised usage patterns help us improve the platform.
  • Legal compliance: We retain certain data as required by applicable law.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties or use it for advertising.

4. Data Retention

  • Account data is retained while your account is active and for 90 days after deletion (to allow recovery).
  • Messages are retained for 2 years from the date of the conversation, then permanently deleted.
  • Community posts are retained until you delete them or close your account.
  • Audit logs are retained for 12 months for security purposes.

5. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

  • Access a copy of your personal data
  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Delete your account and associated data
  • Export your data in a machine-readable format
  • Restrict or object to certain processing
  • Withdraw consent at any time where processing is consent-based

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@myalongside.com. We respond within 30 days.

6. Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies (authentication session tokens) and no third-party tracking or advertising cookies. You cannot opt out of strictly necessary cookies without losing access to authenticated features.

7. Third-Party Services

  • Neon (PostgreSQL): Database hosting — your data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
  • Stripe: Payment processing — governed by Stripe’s own privacy policy.
  • Jitsi Meet: Video calling — calls happen peer-to-peer; we do not record them.

8. Security

We use TLS encryption for all data in transit, bcrypt for password hashing, JWT-based authentication with refresh token rotation, and rate limiting on all API endpoints. Despite these measures, no system is 100% secure — please choose a strong, unique password.

9. Children

MyAlongside is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has created an account, contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We will notify you by email and in-app banner at least 14 days before any material change takes effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact

Email: privacy@myalongside.com
Post: MyAlongside Ltd, Data Protection Officer, London, UK